Business Development Manager, Field Sales (Foodservice)

Basic American Foods•Chicago, IL

4d•$130,000 - $145,000•Remote

About The Position

The Business Development Manager, Field Sales is responsible for profitable sales growth through disciplined prospecting, direct operator engagement, and conversion of new business opportunities in the Field Sales pipeline. The role has national scope, with a focus on direct operator selling, and also oversees BAF’s Eastern Canadian business through its local broker agency. Primary targets include small to mid-size regional chains, emerging multi-unit operators, and other high-potential operator accounts aligned with BAF priorities. This is a market-facing selling role. The manager is expected to spend most of their time in the market selling BAF products to operators. The role also works with Field Sales, Commercial Team peers, trade and pricing teams, distributors, and agency partners to develop opportunities, execute segment strategies, manage pipeline priorities, and achieve profit and growth objectives. The Eastern Canadian broker agency leads local selling and business growth; the manager provides business oversight and coordinates support for the relationship and account needs. The position is fully remote. Candidates should be located near a major airport, and the role requires travel up to 70% of the time. Candidates in the Midwest or Mountain regions are preferred. BAF describes itself as a relatively flat, family-owned and family-friendly organization that supports employee success, learning, and development. It emphasizes integrity, accountability, respect, and an inclusive workplace.

Requirements

At least 5 years of business development sales experience.
Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Intermediate skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Strong negotiation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
High sense of ownership, urgency, resilience, and follow-through; motivated to create opportunities and convert them into measurable results.
Ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize multiple opportunities, and move business forward without step-by-step instruction.
Strong business acumen and ability to understand customer needs, connect BAF solutions to operator outcomes, and create mutual value.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, and volume.
Understanding of basic financial documents, including P/Ls and VGM updates.
Ability to travel up to 70% of the time.
Located near a major airport.

Nice To Haves

Experience in food or foodservice sales is preferred.
Previous experience managing a broker is strongly preferred.
Candidates located in the Midwest or Mountain regions of the United States are preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and achieve assigned sales volume, revenue, and contribution-to-overhead targets while managing within the established operating expense budget.
Develop business plans and execute sales calls against pipeline opportunities.
Work with the Field Sales team to identify operator targets aligned with BAF priorities and profit and growth objectives.
Use BAF pipeline and Power BI data tools to track performance and opportunities.
Establish, develop, and expand relationships with operator decision-makers across key operator accounts.
Identify and pursue new business through direct outreach, distributor and broker collaboration, referrals, market research, industry networking, and operator discovery.
Qualify opportunities, maintain an actionable pipeline, and move prospects toward close with urgency and follow-through.
Collaborate with Commercial Team peers, including Regional Sales Managers and Distribution and Corporate Accounts teams, to execute segment strategies and trimester planning.
Prioritize and actively manage accounts and pipeline opportunities.
Collaborate with the Trade Spend team on pricing programs, including accuracy, timeliness, and market intelligence.
Coordinate with agency partners to identify opportunities, support operator engagement, increase market penetration, prevent duplicated effort, and close opportunities.
Manage the Eastern Canadian broker relationship and provide business oversight through regular communication about priorities and performance.
Support the Eastern Canadian broker with business and product questions, distributor renewals, and routine account needs; coordinate with BAF teams to resolve issues and ensure timely follow-through.
Spend the majority of working time in the market with operators selling BAF products.
Attend market events or agency sales meetings and training only when approved in advance by the Sr. Manager, Field Sales, as these activities are otherwise outside the role’s responsibilities.